Hi everyone. Had a message from sydney480 in Surrey, and her condo building burned down a couple of days ago. She lost everything, as did 52 others. She is living at a motel right now, and I guess waiting to see what is happening with insurance, etc. I just thought I would let everyone know, so you can send good thoughts her way. That's about all I know for now. I didn't ask her if I could post this, but I'm sure she would be happy to hear from others and keep her spirits up!
Glenda
Sydney480-Condo Fire
How terrible! I can't even imagine. I don't know who she is but I will certainly send prayers her way and the others who lost everything....that is just so sad.
how dreadful - one of the few things I really fear is fire and a fire down the block last summer really got me thinking about what I would do with animals etc if it happened to me or the police came along and said get out NOW!
Yikes this is awful !
How can we help?
Glenda please ask her if she needs anything ... that I can do and let me know.
Tell her I will send positive prayers her way.
Ann
How awful....good thoughts and prayers coming your way, sydney480. Thanks for letting us all know, Glenda.
I agree with the other Ann. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help out. also sending Ts and Ps.
Ann
Glenda, thanks for passing this along. If you can find out if we can send anything to her, please let us know. I can only imagine how devastating it must be to lose everything.
Linda
Thanks everyone. I have been in touch with her a couple of times on Facebook, so just have to wait to hear back from her as to how she is doing. Will keep you informed.
Had a message from Cindy this morning, so thought I'd pass it along to all of you.
Hi Glenda
Still trying to muddle through all of this. I found a place to rent as they told us it would be a minimum of one year before we will be living there again, that is if they rebuild. They still havent determined the cause of the fire yet, so still waiting for that. I also fell when I was running out of the fire and really hurt my knee, so unable to work as well. I will have to sue the strata, which is like sueing myself if I want to get any compensation for this injury, so doubt I will do that. Im just using the computer at the library and may be able to go into our suite this week to see if we can salvage anything. Im going to wait and see what its like in there before I really start buying tons of stuff and replace everything, but sure do miss having a computer. Thanks for your concern and tell everyone on Daves thanks as well...not sure what anyone can do as everyone lives so far away..I am going to try to get some of my plants of the deck, but now Im living in a place that faces north and its dark and all the stuff I had was for full sun, as we faced south..had lots of perrenials that should be poking up by now. Anyways I guess everything happens for a reason..still trying to convince myself of that...take care
CB
Glenda
Thanks for the update from Cindy
Yes we are all far away but you never know what we can do!.
I have a girlfriend in Pitt Meadows and a buddy just outside who travels on a regular basis so I see him a few times a year.
Keep us posted please.
Ann
Will do!
Hello..just borrowing a laptop from a friend. Two weeks tommorow since the fire and was hoping to be able to go in today and see what we could salvage, but the insurance co has told us that we are not allowed in at all due to the toxic environment from the mold etc. Its horrible losing everything..I wasnt even able to grab my wallet and am still wearing mostly the same clothes as I ran out with that morning..
Time to start replacing stuff I guess. I was hoping to be able to get some of the plants off the deck, but saw from a distance that the cedar trees I had are totally burnt and everything else looked the same and they wouldnt let me even go near there to see if I could get anything. Its still a very hazardous area I suppose.
thanks for the well wishes
GOOD GRIEF Cindy .. my condolences on your loss !!! How is your knee faring ..??
I'm stunned .. and, I too, wish we lived nearer to you.
Know your being thought of
~M~
Wish there were something else we could say other that Good Luck. :( Just know you are in our thoughts and prayers. Thank God you got out unscathed.
When you have an adddress that we can send things too, let us know. I don't know what I can send to help, but just ask.
Linda
I just want to say thankyou to everyone..and thanks Glenda for posting this, as I never would have. Im very sad right now, as we have lost everything...its just..well you cant even put it into words actually.
We do have a place to live and have a new couch, bed, kitchen furniture...but its still very still and lonely here. I know we are very lucky as we had insurance and many didnt. Im hoping to get back into gardening again..but dont know what to have for a very shady area. This condo has lots of mature trees and it faces north..so dont know what to expect when everything has leaves etc.
Thanks again to everyone..if you want an address, then just please Dmail me okay..thanks Cindy
Cindy,
Like the others, I guess I'm not sure what to say. I certainly hope that at some point you will be allowed to see if you can recover ANYTHING. I'm glad you had insurance, but accounting for your belongings can be a real challenge. As Don said, we're all glad that YOU got out without injury and you will be in all of our thoughts and prayers.
Ann
OH CINDY How I feel for you!
Losing everything is so awful.
Do let us know what your address is when you think you could receive the snail mail.
The good thing about gardening is you can do it pretty much anywhere.
Ann
Glad to see you online. So glad you had insurance and you will be okay. But I do understand the thing of losing everything. I imagine there is just SO much for you to do, and it is probably somewhat overwhelming. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and you will come out on top!
ggd
Hello Everyone
I was able to go into my condo and try to salvage some things..not much left really. I did get some pictures etc and a few belongings that I would never be able to replace ever..sentimental stuff I guess...found some jewelry, but everything is a big mess and didnt know where to look or start really. Most of the stuff is totally damaged beyond belief, but there was one closet that still had a few things it it surprisely...and we only had about 15-20 minutes to go through stuff with the adjuster..not much time at all. I tried to make a list, but when I got there, everything was upside down or just soaking wet and burnt. It is a very toxic environment..had to wear a mask and boots etc. The pictures are very water/smoke damaged, and going to see if I can have them restored somehow. Anyone know how to get the smell of smoke out of leather? I did grab a couple of leather jackets. Somehow they werent wet, but really stink. I also grabbed some of my leather boots, shoes etc, but they were soaked and already very moldy. I was shocked to see that one closet still had a few things in there
We have found a place to rent locally as the investigator told us that it will be a minumum of one year before we will be living there again, and looks like they are going to rebuild it...I think. Havent been told that officially yet, but they have stripped out everything there right down to the studs basically. Gosh that day I watched it burning, I would have never thought that ever. I also checked my deck and alot of stuff was burnt, but I could see alot of the perenials poking up and some going quite well actually. I will have to be able to retrieve them soon, otherwise they will need water etc and will perish. I dont think the insurance adjuster wants me to remove anything from there. I told her I had spent thousands of dollars and put alot of time and effort into creating a little garden of eden out there, but somehow she didnt seem to understand. As she put it, the insurance company owns everything now, but I know they will just trash everything and I know I could save alot of stuff out there. Apparently she is not an avid gardener and doesnt really care. She wasnt that great to deal with at all.
Ive been going to alot of thrift stores locally and have purchased alot of really cool things. I hate spending money that I dont have to, so have bought some nice kinda antique tables etc and a really nice area rug, and it matches all of our new stuff just perfect. It was barely used and Ive already steam cleaned it and it looks quite nice here. The place we have now has no carpets and all hardwood floors, which Im not quite used to yet, so I put it in the livingroom and I really like it..and it was a steal as well.
We also had an aquarium and lost all of our fish etc, so Im slowing replacing the fishes. Had to buy all new equipment and found a place locally that I didnt even know about before with much better deals and stock. My doggie is still traumatized and keeps wondering what the heck is going on. We live about 2 miles away from our condo and he knows this area very well. Everytime I go out with him, he keeps trying to lead me back there.
Im hoping to be able to return to work soon, but I feel really hard that morning and injured my knee and its still really bothering me..so may have to wait awhile yet.
Just wanted to say thanks to all of you for your concern and kindness, as it means alot to me. I really dont want to put my address on here so if you would like to keep in touch, then just dmail me okay.
Thanks again
Cindy
Glad to hear all is going well, Cindy. Good luck with your new digs and hopefully you'll feel good enough to return to work soon. Sure hope they finally let you have your perennials. That would be a great saving, and would probably help you find a little peace in such a sad situation. ^_^
Just found this thead. So sorry to hear this terrible news Cindy
Cindy:
Prayers coming your way.
Sounds as if there are some blessings coming after all the loss, and I recommend writing them down each day, so that you will have something to turn to during the hours or days when it all sneaks up on you again and hammers you with feelings of loss.
A couple things I've learned that might be helpful for you:
"Things getting better" is never a straight upward line. But there will be more and more times and days when things are better as time goes on, just don't be discouraged, or kick yourself around the block if there is an occasional time when you still just want to sit down and cry, even if others think you should be 'over it' by that time.
You can't control your feelings by willpower, so don't waste your energy trying. Save your energy for the things it will be useful for.
Is there somewhere you can rent a garden plot in the city there? And I'm sure some of the DGers can give you ideas for plants that will grow in your north light.
Take care of yourself,
~marilyn
Thanks for all of the prayers and good wishes. I did return to work last Tuesday on nites and was supposed to work for the next 3 weeks..6 on and 2 off. When I returned they had a norwalk virus and when I woke up this afternoon..just felt horrible..so staying home tonite...
Im still rumaging though stuff and alot of it is still wet and stinks. We did manage to get some things and trying to do laundry and see if I can salvage some of the clothes etc..but have thrown away alot of things.
Thanks Marilyn and yes I did break down today but I realize that it wont change things here. I went grocery shopping after I got off duty this morning and bought about 4 bunches of tulips and they are a reminder that spring is here. I am still going to try to get some things off of the deck next week as the restroration company is not there on the weekends...so have to make an appointment.
I took alot of pictues of the fire and Ive been trying to put them on here...so gonna try again...
Thanks again to everyone for all of the support..it means alot.
Cindy,
I haven't commented much as I didn't think I had much more to add, but I do want you to know that I'm also thinking of you. I hope you are able to salvage at least a few things. I'm so sorry that you just got back to work and then encountered that virus. I expect that with all the stress you've been under you are also very susceptible to any viruses that are making the rounds.
Enjoy the tulips and remember that life does go on and things WILL get better.
Ann
Cindy, just take of yourself. Stress can do bad things to us. One step at a time is all you can do, and you are well on the way!
Take care.
Glenda